CN114026376B - 用于产生氩的系统和方法 - Google Patents

用于产生氩的系统和方法 Download PDF

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CN114026376B
CN114026376B CN202080045981.5A CN202080045981A CN114026376B CN 114026376 B CN114026376 B CN 114026376B CN 202080045981 A CN202080045981 A CN 202080045981A CN 114026376 B CN114026376 B CN 114026376B
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argon
stream
distillation column
oxygen
column
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CN114026376A (zh
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D·R·帕尔斯尼克
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Praxair Technology Inc
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Praxair Technology Inc
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J3/00—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification
    • F25J3/02—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream
    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04642—Recovering noble gases from air
    • F25J3/04648—Recovering noble gases from air argon
    • F25J3/04654—Producing crude argon in a crude argon column
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    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
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    • F25J3/04—Processes or apparatus for separating the constituents of gaseous or liquefied gaseous mixtures involving the use of liquefaction or solidification by rectification, i.e. by continuous interchange of heat and material between a vapour stream and a liquid stream for air
    • F25J3/04006—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit
    • F25J3/04078—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit providing pressurized products by liquid compression and vaporisation with cold recovery, i.e. so-called internal compression
    • F25J3/0409—Providing pressurised feed air or process streams within or from the air fractionation unit providing pressurized products by liquid compression and vaporisation with cold recovery, i.e. so-called internal compression of oxygen
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    • F25J3/04284—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams
    • F25J3/0429—Generation of cold for compensating heat leaks or liquid production, e.g. by Joule-Thompson expansion using internal refrigeration by open-loop gas work expansion, e.g. of intermediate or oxygen enriched (waste-)streams of feed air, e.g. used as waste or product air or expanded into an auxiliary column
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
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    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2215/00—Processes characterised by the type or other details of the product stream
    • F25J2215/58—Argon
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
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    • F25J2235/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for increasing the pressure or for conveying of liquid process streams
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
    • F25J2245/00—Processes or apparatus involving steps for recycling of process streams
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
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    • F25—REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES
    • F25J—LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS OR LIQUEFIED GASEOUS MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT OR BY BRINGING THEM INTO THE SUPERCRITICAL STATE
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Abstract

本发明提供了用于在具有多个低温空气分离单元的空气分离设备设施或包体中产生氩气的系统和方法。本发明系统和方法包括集中式氩精制系统，该集中式氩精制系统设置在低温空气分离单元中的一个低温空气分离单元内并且被配置为包括具有一个或多个氩塔和氩冷凝器的氩超级或超‑超级塔布置。来自其他低温空气分离单元中的一个或多个低温空气分离单元的粗制氩流被引导到集中式氩精制过程的氩超级或超‑超级塔布置。

Description

用于产生氩的系统和方法
相关申请的交叉引用
本专利申请要求于2019年10月17日提交的美国临时专利申请序列号62/916,300的权益和优先权。
技术领域
本发明涉及用于在具有多个低温空气分离单元的空气分离设备设施或包体中产生氩的系统和方法。
背景技术
传统上，通过在各个空气分离单元中增加超级或超-超级氩塔布置或系统中的分离级的数量来实现增加空气分离单元中的氩生产。毋庸置疑，存在与将理论分离级添加到空气分离单元的氩塔系统相关联的附加资本成本以及由于氩塔和相关联的冷箱的增加的总高度而出现的其他构造和操作风险问题。在许多情况下，与通过增加氩分离级的数量相关联的附加资本成本和操作风险不会产生有意义的成本效益，并且在一些情况下可能无论如何都不会产生净成本效益。
此外，通常需要开发采用多个空气分离单元或空气分离机组的空气分离设施或包体。通常，空气分离设备设施或包体内的这些多个空气分离单元彼此非常相似或重复，这有助于空气分离设备设施或包体的更成本有效的构造和冷箱装运。
所需要的是改进空气分离设备设施或包体中的氩生产的装置，其利用过程重复而不遭受与通过增加空气分离设备设施或包体内的超级或超-超级氩塔布置中的分离级的数量相关联的传统缺点。
发明内容
本发明可以表征为产生氩的空气分离包体，其包括：(i)第一空气分离单元，该第一空气分离单元具有第一蒸馏塔系统，该第一蒸馏塔系统被配置为接收第一纯化、冷却和压缩的进料空气流并且产生第一氧产物流，第一氮流和第一除氩流以及第一粗制液氩流；(ii)第二空气分离单元，该第二空气分离单元具有第二蒸馏塔系统，该第二蒸馏塔系统被配置为接收第二纯化、冷却和压缩的进料空气流并且产生第二氧产物流，第二氮流以及富氩氧蒸气流；以及(iii)氩超级或超-超级塔布置，该布置具有一个或多个氩塔、氩冷凝器。一个或多个氩塔被配置用于接收来自第二蒸馏塔系统的较低压力塔的中间位置的富氩氧蒸气流，来自第一空气分离单元的第一粗制液氩流的一部分，以及来自氩冷凝器的回流流。氩冷凝器被配置为经由与从第一蒸馏塔系统或第二蒸馏塔系统获取的冷凝流的间接热交换来冷凝氩蒸气流的第一部分以形成回流流。
本发明还可以表征为用于在空气分离包体中产生氩的方法，该方法包括以下步骤：(a)在具有第一蒸馏塔系统的第一空气分离单元中经由分馏由第一纯化、冷却和压缩的进料空气流产生第一氧产物流、第一氮流、第一除氩流和第一粗制液氩流；(b)在具有第二蒸馏塔系统的第二空气分离单元中经由分馏由第二纯化、冷却和压缩的进料空气流产生第二氧产物流、第二氮流和富氩氧蒸气流；(c)将富氩氧蒸气流从第二蒸馏塔系统引导到靠近氩超级塔的底部的位置；(d)将第一粗制液氩流的一部分从第一空气分离单元引导到氩超级塔的中间位置；(e)使用氩回流流在氩超级塔中分离氧和氩以产生靠近氩超级塔的顶部的氩塔顶馏出物和在氩超级塔的底部处的液氧；(f)经由与从第二蒸馏塔系统获取或从第一蒸馏塔系统获取的冷凝流的间接热交换，使氩塔顶馏出物的第一部分冷凝以形成氩回流流；(g)将液氧从氩超级塔泵送到第二蒸馏塔系统的较低压力塔的中间位置；以及(h)获取氩塔顶馏出物流的第二部分作为氩产物。
在本发明系统和方法的一些优选实施方案中，附加空气分离单元也可以与第一空气分离单元和第二空气分离单元联接或集成，并且被配置为将粗制氩流发送到集中式氩超级或超-超级塔布置。另外，第一空气分离单元、第二空气分离单元或后续空气分离单元的蒸馏塔系统中的任一者可被配置为分隔壁塔布置，该分隔壁塔布置具有设置在第二蒸馏塔系统的较低压力塔的壳内的氩氧蒸馏塔段和氧氮蒸馏塔段。氩冷凝器也可以在通常在氩氧蒸馏塔段上方的位置处设置在第二蒸馏塔系统的较低压力塔中。
附图说明
虽然本说明书的结论是申请人视为其发明内容且明确地指出发明主题的权利要求书，但相信本发明在结合附图考虑时将得到更好的理解，其中：
图1是根据本发明氩生产系统和方法的实施方案的示出三个空气分离单元的空气分离设备设施或包体的示意图；
图2是被配置为产生用于本发明氩生产系统和方法中的粗制氩流的空气分离单元的示意图；
图3是被配置为在本发明氩生产系统和方法中接收粗制氩流并且产生氩产物流的空气分离单元的示意图；
图4是被配置为产生用于本发明氩生产系统和方法中的粗制氩流的空气分离单元的另选实施方案的示意图；并且
图5是被配置为在本发明氩生产系统和方法中接收粗制氩流并且产生氩产物流的空气分离单元的另选实施方案的示意图。
具体实施方式
参考图1，示出了具有多个低温空气分离单元的空气分离设备设施或包体，包括第一低温空气分离单元100、第二低温空气分离单元200和第三低温空气分离单元300，以及集中式氩精制布置400，该布置包括可操作地联接到多个低温空气分离单元100、200中的至少一者的至少一个氩超级塔。此类大型空气分离设备设施或包体可以适用于需要多种气体产物的大型气化项目。例如，大型空气分离设备设施或包体通常需要高压气态氮(通常在>40巴的压力下)，和较低压力、高纯度气态氮，以及包括液氧、液氮和氩的各种商业产物。
空气分离单元100被配置为接收进入的进料空气流122并产生多个产物流和/或废物流，该产物流和/或废物流任选地包括气态氧流195、液氧流185、高压气态氮产物流199、低压气态氮产物流192、液氮产物流197、氮废物流194、除氩流193和粗制氩流159。优选地通过使用三重塔分馏过程来实现流的生产。类似地，空气分离单元200被配置为接收第二进入进料空气流222并且还产生多个产物流和/或废物流，该产物流和/或废物流任选地包括第二气态氧流295、第二液氧流285、第二高压气态氮产物流299、第二低压气态氮产物流292、第二液氮流297、第二氮废物流294、第二除氩流293和第二粗制氩流259。如图1所示，第一粗制氩流159和第二粗制氩流259组合以形成合并的粗制氩流425。
空气分离单元300被配置为接收又一个或第三进入进料空气流322以及合并的粗制氩流425并产生多个产物流和/或废物流，该产物流和/或废物流任选地包括第三气态氧流395、第三液氧流385、第三高压气态氮产物流399、第三低压气态氮产物流392、第三氮废物流394和氩产物流460。类似于空气分离单元100、200，优选地通过使用分馏过程来实现来自空气分离单元300的流的产生，该分馏过程优选地将双重塔或三重塔蒸馏系统与包含氩超级或超-超级塔和氩冷凝器的集中式氩塔布置400一起采用。
图2示出了空气分离单元100和200的实施方案的更详细的示意图，而图3示出了空气分离单元300和集中式氩塔布置400的实施方案的更详细的示意图。在广义上，所描绘的空气分离单元100、200、300各自包括：主进料空气压缩机组或系统120、220、320；涡轮空气回路130、230、330；增压空气回路140、240、340；主换热器或初级换热器150、250、350；基于涡轮的制冷回路160、260、360；以及蒸馏塔系统170、270、370。如本文所用，主进料空气压缩机组、涡轮空气回路和增压器空气回路共同构成“热端”空气压缩回路。类似地，主换热器或初级换热器、基于涡轮的制冷回路的部分和蒸馏塔系统的部分被称为通常容纳在绝缘冷箱中的“冷端”系统/设备。
在图2和图3所示的主进料压缩机组中，进入的进料空气流122、222、322通常被抽吸穿过空气吸滤器外壳并且在多级中间冷却的主空气压缩机布置124、224、324中被压缩至可介于约5巴(a)和约15巴(a)之间的压力。该主空气压缩机布置124、224、324可包括串联或并联布置的整体齿轮式压缩机级或直接驱动压缩机级。离开相应主空气压缩机布置124、224、324的经压缩的空气流被进料至具有一体式除雾器的后冷却器125、225、325，以移除进入的进料空气流中的游离水分。通过用冷却塔水冷却经压缩进料空气，在后冷却器中将来自主空气压缩机布置124、224、324中的每一者的最后压缩级的压缩的压缩热移除。来自该后冷却器以及主空气压缩布置124、224、324中的一些中间冷却器的冷凝物优选地输送到冷凝物罐，并且用于向空气分离设备设施或包体的其他部分供应水。
然后将冷却且干燥的经压缩空气进料126、226、326在预纯化单元128、228、328中纯化以从该冷却的干的经压缩空气进料中移除高沸点污染物。如本领域所熟知，预纯化单元128、228、328通常包含根据变温和/或变压吸附循环操作的氧化铝和/或分子筛的两个床或多个床，在该吸附循环中水分及其他杂质(诸如二氧化碳、水蒸气和烃类)被吸附。这些床中的一个床用于预纯化该冷却且干燥的经压缩空气进料，而另一个床是优选地利用来自空气分离单元的废氮的一部分再生的。这两个床定期交换功用。在设置在预纯化单元128、228、328下游的粉尘过滤器中，随后从经压缩、预纯化的进料空气中移除颗粒以产生经压缩、纯化的空气流129、229、329。
经压缩并且纯化的空气流129、229、329在包括较高压力塔172、272、372；较低压力塔174、274、374；以及氩塔布置(其可包括除氩塔176、276和/或氩超级塔450)的多个蒸馏塔中被分离为富氧馏分、富氮馏分和富氩馏分。然而，在这种蒸馏之前，经压缩和预纯化的空气流129、229、329通常被分成多个进料空气流，其包括锅炉空气流142、242、342，涡轮空气流132、232、332以及第三空气流141、241、341。
锅炉空气流和第三空气流一起通常占压缩和纯化的进料空气流的约25％至45％。锅炉空气流142、242、342可以在增压压缩机布置144、244、344中进一步压缩至介于约25巴(a)和约70巴(a)之间的目标压力，并且随后在后冷却器145、245、345中冷却以形成增压空气流146、246、346。增压空气流146、246、346的目标压力通常由高压气态氧产物流的产物要求决定。随后将增压空气流146、246、346中的每一者在相关联的主换热器150、250、350中进一步冷却到精馏所需的温度，在这些主换热器中，该增压空气流被用于通过间接热交换使液氧流沸腾以产生高压气态氧产物流。离开主换热器的经冷却和进一步压缩的锅炉空气流147、247、347的温度优选地介于约96开尔文和约100开尔文之间，其表示主换热器的冷端温度。
涡轮空气流132、232、332通常为经压缩且纯化的进料空气流的约55％至75％，并且任选地在一个或多个涡轮空气压缩机133、233、333中被进一步压缩，在后冷却器134、234、334中冷却，并作为流被引导至主换热器150、250、350，在该主换热器中其在被引导至基于涡轮的制冷回路160、260、360之前被部分冷却，如下所述。进一步压缩的涡轮空气流的目标压力优选地介于约20巴(a)和约60巴(a)之间。
部分冷却的进料空气流138、238、338在基于涡轮的制冷回路160、260、360中的相应涡轮膨胀机137、237、337中膨胀，以产生被引导到相应的空气分离单元100、200、300中的每一者中的较低压力塔174、274、374的进料空气流164、264、364。空气分离单元100、200、300中的每一者的制冷也通常由相关联的基于涡轮的制冷回路160、260、360和其他相关的冷的和/或热的涡轮布置生成，该涡轮布置诸如为如本领域中所公知的闭环加热制冷回路。
完全冷却的增压空气流147、247、347各自被分成单独的部分，其在膨胀阀148、149、248、249、348、349中或在液体涡轮中膨胀，然后被引入到空气分离单元中的每一者的较高压力塔和较低压力塔中。最后，包括经压缩、纯化的进料空气129、229、329的一部分的第三空气流141、241、341可以被引导到主换热器或初级换热器150、250、350，其中它们被完全冷却到适于作为流155、255、355进行精馏的温度并且随后引入较高压力塔172、272、372中。
在本发明系统的一些实施方案中，低温空气分离单元中的液体生产(包括加压液态氧产物流和液态氮产物流)可通过改变发送到涡轮膨胀机的涡轮空气流中的压力而进一步改变。这种压力变化可通过涡轮空气流旁路回路(未示出)来实现，该涡轮空气流旁路回路包括具有旁路阀的旁路管线，该旁路阀可被设置在打开或关闭位置。
旁路回路被配置为引导涡轮空气流的全部或一部分绕过一个或多个涡轮空气压缩机中的至少一个涡轮空气压缩机。如果采用旁路回路，绕过的涡轮空气流的目标压力优选地介于约10巴(a)和约30巴(a)之间。另外，在利用旁路回路的一些实施方案中，可能有利的是提供补充氮气源，该补充氮气源代替涡轮空气流被引导到涡轮空气流压缩机，以便不损坏涡轮空气压缩机。
主换热器或初级换热器150、250、350优选地是钎焊铝制板翅式换热器。此类换热器是有利的，因为它们具有紧凑设计、高传热速率，而且它们能够处理多个流。它们被制造为完全钎焊和焊接的压力容器。对于小型空气分离单元而言，具有单个芯的换热器可能已足够。对于处理较高空气流量的较大空气分离单元而言，主换热器可由可并联或串联连接的若干热交换芯构造而成。
进料空气流的组分(即氧、氮和氩)在蒸馏塔系统170、270、370内分离，该蒸馏塔系统优选地包括两个或更多个蒸馏塔，其中蒸气和液体逆流接触，以便产生相应进料流的基于气体/液体质量传递的分离。此类塔将优选地采用规整填料或塔盘作为质量传递接触元件。
图2和图3中所示的蒸馏塔系统170、270、370中的每一者包括：较高压力塔172、272、372；较低压力塔174、274、374；主冷凝器-再沸器175、275、375；以及氩塔布置。图2中所示的氩塔布置优选地被配置为除氩塔176、276以及氩冷凝器178、278、478。图3中所示的氩塔布置优选地是除氩塔376和氩超级塔450以及氩冷凝器478。较高压力塔通常在约20巴(a)至约60巴(a)之间的范围内操作，而较低压力塔在约1.1巴(a)至约1.5巴(a)之间的压力下操作。
每个空气分离单元的较高压力塔和较低压力塔优选地以热传递关系相连，使得从靠近较高压力塔172、272、372的顶部提取为流173、273、373的富氮蒸气塔顶馏出物在通常位于较低压力塔174、274、374的基部中的冷凝器-再沸器175、275、375中因富氧液体塔底馏出物177、277、377沸腾而冷凝。富氧液体塔底馏出物的沸腾引发在较低压力塔174、274、374内形成上升蒸气相。冷凝在空气分离单元中的每一者中产生富液氮流，该富液氮流可被分成回流流，回流流使蒸馏塔中的一者或多者回流以引发下降液相的形成并任选地获取液氮流197、297。而且，可以在主换热器或初级换热器150、250、350中获取和加热富氮蒸气塔顶馏出物的一部分，以产生高压气态氮流199、299、399。引导到较高压力塔172、272、372的回流流179、279、379优选地是离开主冷凝器-再沸器175、275、375的富氮液体流181、281、381的一部分。离开主冷凝器-再沸器175、275、375的富氮液体流181、281、381的另一部分可以被过冷并且作为液氮产物流197、297。
完全冷却的空气流155、255与所有或部分进一步压缩和冷却的增压空气流147、247、347一起引入较高压力塔中，以便通过在多个质量传递接触元件(其可以是塔盘或规整填料)中使这种混合物的上升蒸气相与由回流流引发的下降液相接触而进行蒸馏。该蒸馏过程产生了粗液氧塔底馏出物186、286、386(也称为釜液体)和富氮塔顶馏出物187、287、387。
在所示实施方案中，来自涡轮空气制冷回路160、260、360中的每一者的排气流164、264、364与一部分进一步压缩和冷却的增压空气流147、247、347一起引入相关的较低压力塔中以用于蒸馏。使用多个质量传递接触元件实现较低压力塔内的蒸馏，这些质量传递接触元件可以是塔盘或规整填料或低温空气分离领域中的其他已知元件。如前所述，在较低压力塔内发生的分离产生被提取为富氧液体流190、290、390的富氧液体塔底馏出物177、277、377和被提取为低压氮产物流192、292、392的富氮蒸气塔顶馏出物191、291、391。
如附图所示，富氧液体流190、290、390可经由泵180、280、380泵送并作为被泵送的液氧产物185、285、385，或被引导至相关联的主换热器，其中将泵送的氧流加热以产生气态氧产物流195、295、395。另外，还可从较低压力塔提取废物氮流194、294、394以控制低压氮产物流192、292、392的纯度。
低压氮产物流、氮废物流和除氩流优选地穿过设计成过冷的一个或多个过冷单元198A/B、298A/B和398A/B：(i)液氮产物流197、297；(ii)用于回流氩塔176、276的相应釜流186、286；以及(iii)用于回流空气分离单元中的每一者中的较低压力塔的搁板氮回流流182、282、382。如图2和图3所示，过冷的搁板氮回流流182、282、382优选地在穿过膨胀阀183、283、383之后引入到较低压力塔中。在通过过冷单元之后，低压氮产物流、氮废物流和除氩流在相应的主换热器或初级换热器150、250、350内完全升温以产生加热的氮产物流、加热的氮废料流和加热的除氩流。尽管未示出，但是经加热的氮废物流可用于再生预纯化单元内的吸附剂。
分隔壁除氩塔
在低温空气分离单元的较低压力塔的壳内采用分隔壁除氩塔布置和氩冷凝器，如图4和图5中大体上描绘，可以实现空气分离设备设施的显著资本成本减少以及产生一些电力节省，并且还可以用于增加单独的低温空气分离单元内的氧回收。
图4中描绘了被配置为产生用于本发明氩生产系统和方法中的粗制氩流的空气分离单元的另选实施方案，而图5中描绘了被配置为接收粗制氩流并在本发明氩生产系统和方法中产生氩产物流的空气分离单元的另选实施方案。由于图4和5中所示的空气分离单元的实施方案的许多元件、特征和附图标记分别与图2和图3中的那些相同或类似，因此不再重复详细描述。然而，图2和图3中所示的实施方案与图4和图5中所示的实施方案之间的特征和元件的差异在以下段落中广泛描述。关键差异在于空气分离单元中的除氩塔和氩冷凝器的布置或配置以及集中式氩布置。
例如，在图3中，集中式氩塔布置被描绘为氩超-超级塔布置，包括与超级氩塔操作地联接的低比率塔，而在图5中，氩塔布置被示出为氩超级塔和下游高比率塔。另外，图2和图3示出了作为具有外部氩冷凝器的外部粗制氩塔的空气分离单元中的除氩塔，而在图4和图5中，除氩塔被设置在较低压力塔壳内并且被配置为环形分隔壁塔。另外，在图4的实施方案中，氩冷凝器还在除氩段上方的位置处设置在较低压力塔壳内。
再次参考图4和图5，在较低压力塔结构的占地面积内，该塔结构的中间部分优选地包含具有主蒸馏段和分隔除氩段的分隔壁塔布置。在所示实施方案中，分隔除氩段是被配置为使用富氧上升蒸气流和富氩回流流分离氩和氧的除氩塔156、256。主蒸馏段被配置为低压蒸馏塔的一部分，并且被配置为使用富氮上升蒸气流(即，空气)和富氧回流流分离氧和氮。已经发现，对于某些空气分离设备并且具体地对于许多气体仅分离氧的设备，除氩塔实现较大电力节省并且用于增加氧回收。如上文所讨论的，在许多情况下，单独的除氩塔涉及较高的资本成本。这对于需要额外的或放大的冷箱包装以容纳单独的除氩塔的较大设备而言尤其如此。
如本发明实施方案中所设想的，如果结合除氩塔156、256并且将其作为分隔壁塔布置设置在较低压力塔结构内，则通常与单独的除氩塔相关联的额外的资本成本将大大降低。重要的是需注意，在许多常规低温空气分离单元中，较低压力塔的限定塔段通常利用率不足或未负载，因为一部分蒸气“绕道”到达外部氩超级塔，使得较低压力塔蒸馏时所需的这一利用不足或未负载的塔段的流动面积可得以降低，并且在一定程度上小于较低压力塔段的其余部分的流动面积。因此，通过设计具有在较低压力塔结构的这一位置处的主蒸馏段和分隔除氩段的分隔壁塔，除氩塔可优选地与较低压力塔结构的这一利用不足或未负载的塔段处于同一位置。在这样的布置中，来自紧邻分隔壁塔下方的较低压力塔的相邻段的蒸气的一部分流到分隔除氩段，而来自紧邻分隔壁塔布置下方的较低压力塔的相邻段的蒸气的剩余部分向上上升直到主蒸馏段。
设置在较低压力塔结构内的分隔壁除氩塔在与较低压力塔内相当的压力下操作。分隔除氩段接收来自较低压力塔的向上流动的包含氩和氧的蒸气进料(通常具有浓度为约8体积％至15体积％的氩)和接收自氩冷凝器的向下流动的富氩回流。分隔除氩段用于通过将氩与氧分离而精馏包含氩和氧的蒸气进料，使其成为富氩塔顶馏出蒸气流和富氧液体流，该富氧液体流被释放或返回至较低压力塔中分隔壁塔布置下方的点处。在分隔壁除氩塔布置内的质量传递接触元件可为托盘或其他填料。
然后将所得的富氩蒸气塔顶馏出物流优选地引导到氩冷凝器，该氩冷凝器也优选地设置在较低压力塔的结构内，其中富氩蒸气塔顶馏出物流的全部或一部分被冷凝为粗制液氩流。粗制液氩流的第一部分用作分隔除氩段的富氩回流流，并且粗制液氩的其余部分被引导到操作地联接到空气分离单元300的氩超级塔450。在所描绘的实施方案中，富氩回流流被引导回分隔塔段的最上部分并且引发与上升的包含氩和氧的蒸气进料接触的下降的氩液相。在一些实施方案中，富氩蒸气塔顶馏出物流的一部分可以被转移并引导到主换热器4以回收制冷，或者可以简单地将富氩蒸气塔顶馏出物流的部分作为废物流排出。
在所示实施方案中，分隔除氩段的高度优选地被限制为适应在约15个塔板和40个塔板之间的分离，并且更优选地在20个塔板和30个塔板之间的分离。虽然此类有限数量的分离级对于需要改进低温空气分离单元的氧回收的除氩是足够的，但是所得的排出分隔除氩段的除氩蒸气流的纯度相当低，具有约4％至25％的氧，并且更优选地介于10％和15％之间的氧，其中氮杂质多达1％。
氩冷凝器优选地被配置为单次通过式氩冷凝器并且优选地设置在较低压力塔内部，处于形成除氩塔的较低压力塔结构的分隔壁布置正上方。氩冷凝器的该位置是釜液体和蒸气的天然进料点以及冷凝氩塔顶馏出蒸气的天然点。因此，该位置是容纳氩冷凝器的理想位置以最大限度减少管道，并且避免对两相部分沸腾的釜流的分隔容器的需要。替代地，氩冷凝器可以设置在较低压力塔的外部或在较低压力塔的最上部分处，但是可能需要附加管道。
应注意，空气分离设备设施或包体可利用不同类型的多个低温空气分离单元，并且不同的空气分离单元不需要被配置为复制空气分离循环或过程。例如，一个低温空气分离单元可被设计成递送高压、高纯度氮流，而另一个低温空气分离单元可被设计成仅用于氧气生产。
尽管已参考优选实施方案描述了氩生产系统和方法，但是本领域的技术人员应当能够理解，在不脱离所附权利要求书描述的本发明的实质和范围的情况下，可对其进行多种改变、以及添加和省略。

Claims (8)

1.一种产生氩的空气分离包体，包括：
第一空气分离单元，所述第一空气分离单元具有第一蒸馏塔系统，所述第一蒸馏塔系统被配置为接收第一纯化、冷却和压缩的进料空气流并且产生第一氧产物流，第一氮流和第一除氩流以及第一粗制液氩流；
第二空气分离单元，所述第二空气分离单元具有第二蒸馏塔系统，所述第二蒸馏塔系统被配置为接收第二纯化、冷却和压缩的进料空气流并且产生第二氧产物流，第二氮流以及富氩氧蒸气流；
第三空气分离单元，所述第三空气分离单元具有第三蒸馏塔系统，所述第三蒸馏塔系统被配置为接收第三纯化、冷却和压缩的进料空气流并产生第三氧产物流、第三氮流、第三除氩流和第二粗制液氩流；
氩超级塔或超-超级塔布置，所述氩超级塔或超-超级塔布置具有一个或多个氩塔、氩冷凝器和氧泵；
其中所述一个或多个氩塔被配置用于接收在靠近所述氩塔的底部的位置处来自所述第二蒸馏塔系统的较低压力塔的中间位置的所述富氩氧蒸气流，在所述氩超级塔的中间位置处来自所述第一空气分离单元的所述第一粗制液氩流的一部分，以及来自所述氩冷凝器的回流流，所述氩超级塔被进一步配置为产生靠近所述氩塔的顶部的富氩蒸气流和靠近所述氩塔的底部的液氧流；
其中所述氩冷凝器被配置为经由与从所述第二蒸馏塔系统获取或从所述第一蒸馏塔系统获取的冷凝流的间接热交换来冷凝所述氩蒸气流的第一部分以形成所述回流流；
其中所述液氧流经由所述氧泵泵送到所述第二蒸馏塔系统的所述较低压力塔；并且
其中如果所述氩塔布置是氩超-超级塔布置，则获取所述氩蒸气流的第二部分作为氩产物流，或者如果所述氩塔布置是氩超级塔布置，则获取所述氩蒸气流的第二部分作为氩氮流以在高比率塔中进一步精制；并且
其中所述第二粗制液氩流的一部分也被引入到所述氩超级塔。
2.根据权利要求1所述的产生氩的空气分离包体，其中所述第二蒸馏塔系统还包括分隔壁塔布置，所述分隔壁塔布置具有设置在所述第二蒸馏塔系统的所述较低压力塔的壳内的氩氧蒸馏塔段和氧氮蒸馏塔段。
3.根据权利要求2所述的产生氩的空气分离包体，其中所述氩冷凝器在所述氩氧蒸馏塔段上方的位置处设置在第二蒸馏塔系统的所述较低压力塔中。
4.根据权利要求1所述的产生氩的空气分离包体，其中所述第一蒸馏塔系统还包括分隔壁塔布置，所述分隔壁塔布置具有设置在所述第一蒸馏塔系统的所述较低压力塔的壳内的氩氧蒸馏塔段和氧氮蒸馏塔段。
5.根据权利要求4所述的产生氩的空气分离包体，其中所述第一蒸馏塔系统还包括在所述氩氧蒸馏塔段上方的位置处设置在第一蒸馏塔系统的所述较低压力塔中的氩冷凝器，并且其中所述氩氧蒸馏塔段中的上升的富氩蒸气的第一部分在所述氩冷凝器中抵靠来自所述第一蒸馏塔系统内的富氧流冷凝，并且所述氩氧蒸馏塔段中的所述上升的富氩蒸气的第二部分形成所述除氩流。
6.根据权利要求1所述的产生氩的空气分离包体，其中所述第三蒸馏塔系统还包括分隔壁塔布置，所述分隔壁塔布置具有设置在所述第三蒸馏塔系统的所述较低压力塔的壳内的氩氧蒸馏塔段和氧氮蒸馏塔段。
7.根据权利要求6所述的产生氩的空气分离包体，其中第三氩冷凝器在所述氩氧蒸馏塔段上方的位置处设置在第三蒸馏塔系统的所述较低压力塔中，并且其中所述第三蒸馏塔系统的所述氩氧蒸馏塔段中的上升的富氩蒸气的第一部分在所述第三氩冷凝器中抵靠来自所述第三蒸馏塔系统内的富氧流冷凝，并且所述第三蒸馏塔系统的所述氩氧蒸馏塔段中的所述上升的富氩蒸气的第二部分形成所述第三除氩流。
8.根据权利要求7所述的产生氩的空气分离包体，其中所述第一蒸馏塔系统与所述第三蒸馏塔系统是相同的设计。
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